


Psychosis

by Badmecha007



Category: Transformers, Transformers Prime
Genre: Angst, Gen, Gore, Graphic medical procedures, Horror, Insanity, Psychosis, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-02
Updated: 2013-12-02
Packaged: 2017-12-28 05:38:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/988344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Badmecha007/pseuds/Badmecha007
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Starscream and Shockwave escape, they thought their biggest problem was going to be survival. However, a new player in their game makes their survival the smallest-and also biggest-problem.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place after the last episode of Transformers Prime. Starscream and Shockwave are speaking Cybertronian in this fic. An alternate timeline of Transformers Prime. Part of the "Darker Timelines" series I am currently writing. Later when Starscream's form is described as being different, the form he is using is his WFC form.

"We're gonna crash, Shockwave! Do something!" Starscream yelled, wings flaring in fear. Shockwave tapped commands into the small escape pod's controls, fruitless attempts in all. He snarled annoyedly as Starscream's huge wings almost stabbed him in his giant red optic. The pod had almost run out of fuel, the fuel being used up so quickly as a result of both Shockwave and Starscream sharing the pod which had been designed only for one. Starscream screeched frantically as the pod neared the ground. "Aaauugh!"

"Starscream, it is logical that you stay calm!" Shockwave managed to spit out just as the pod crashed into the ground, the impact sending him forward into Starscream's wings, which bent and buckled under his immense weight.

"AARRGH! MY WINGS, SHOCKWAVE! GET OFF THEM!"

As the pod continued to skid across the ground, the hierarchy inside it shifted as Starscream was thrown up onto Shockwave, his claws almost digging into the other mech's optic.

"STARSCREAM! REFRAIN FROM CLAWING MY OPTIC!" Shockwave moved his head, barely missing the sharp claws which came together with a clink. He managed to look outside the pod through the window, and raised the alarm as he saw something in front of them. A wall... "Starscream, brace yourself for impact!"

Starscream didn't have time to respond as the pod tossed the pair up once again, this time causing Shockwave to narrowly miss Starscream's already-damaged wing as he fell. Starscream clutched Shockwave in a last ditch effort to steady himself and prevent his wings from hitting the ground as the pod hurtled towards the old metal wall, coming to a stop as it plowed into it. Shockwave and Starscream smashed into the side of the pod as the space vehicle finally stopped, crunching Starscream's wings against the pod, delivering the final blow to the already battered sheets of metal.

"OH PRIMUS!" Starscream yelled, Energon starting to drip from his damaged wings. As he groaned in pain, Shockwave picked himself up, removing the Seeker from his huge arm cannon which the grey ex-'Con had left long, deep claw marks in. Shockwave dropped Starscream on the ground, the Seeker hissing at the impact which went straight to his wings. "SHOCKWAVE!" Starscream sat up, yelling at Shockwave.

"Control your screaming! There may be enemies around! Remember the ransom on our head!" Shockwave hushed Starscream, pushing his helm down. "Hush quickly! I hear beeping!" Shockwave cocked his gun, quickly hiding behind the wall, looking out tentatively. His Energon supply for the weapon was running extremely low; he might only have one shot. Starscream shrunk back into the damaged pod, his wings a delicate asset, being badly torn and broken. He had also noticed his heel strut was broken. Starscream noticed the beeping had gotten louder as he re-entered the pod. Glaring behind him cautiously, Starscream yelled at Shockwave as he realised what exactly was causing the beeping noise.

_The self-destruct system of the pod had been activated!_

"Shockwave! The self-destruct! We have to escape!"

"Very logical." Shockwave picked up Starscream, carefully supporting his wings. Starscream almost squeaked as Shockwave swept his frame up, surprised he would save him from the explosion.

"Why are you taking me from here?! I thought you..."

"Having someone to cover your back in survival is logical." Shockwave retorted.

"Oh, so this is for YOU?!" Starscream yelled, clearly offended, folding his arms, a very Earthen trait he had picked up looking through the Internet. Shockwave continued his hurried sprint away as the timer of the pod ticked down to zero, the space vehicle exploding loudly with a flare of bright orange fire. Shockwave tripped and fell at the force of the explosion, Starscream yelling in horror as the purple mech once again fell on him, this time luckily missing his wings. However, the impact of crashing still going right up to his damaged wings, Starscream screaming loudly, living up to his name. Shockwave twitched at the noise, rolling off Starscream. Starscream fluffed his already broken wings and winced in pain, Energon gushing from the injury site. Shockwave slowly got up and went over to Starscream, letting the Seeker use his cannon to heave himself up. In the heat of the moment, Starscream accepted Shockwave's help.

"This does NOT change anything!" Starscream hissed through clenched fangs.

"I believe it should be me saying something akin to that. I was abandoned by you intentionally, and our history together means it is logical..."

"It is logical you shut...We need to find shelter!" Starscream suddenly as he felt raindrops come down. Acidic rain. On Cybertron, rain was comprised not of water, but rather of a viciously strong acid which could slowly corrode away a Cybertronian's armor, amongst other things. Starscream desperately looked around, pain searing through his wings as the acidic rain landed its sadistic bite into them. Starscream spotted a small, tattered piece of metal and flipped it over his wings, shielding them from the rain temporarily until it would eventually be eaten by the acid. "Shelter! Now!" Starscream yelled, pointing towards an old building he had just spotted near the horizon amongst all the other flattened buildings in the desolate corner of the planet. The building in question was obviously past living quarters, covered in dust, almost hidden from sight. Living quarters for no more than one Minibot, it would seem. It was indeed tiny...

"Go!" Shockwave transformed and sped toward the small building, Starscream following suit with much pain as his wings caught on other parts of his armor. The pair, Shockwave having recalled an old alt. form he had used many eons ago, flew over to the building keeping a low profile as to hopefully avoid bringing attention to themselves, knowing the Autobots probably had a bounty over their heads. Starscream had trouble keeping up with Shockwave due to his broken wings.

"Wait for me! I can't fly that well!" Starscream yelled at Shockwave while doing a barrel roll into the ground, skidding along the ground as he screamed out about his wings. He tumbled forward, heading straight for the building, which Shockwave was standing in front of. He seemed to have trouble opening the door, which stuck due to the effects of its neglect during the War. "Move, Shockwave!" Starscream flew, unable to stop, straight into Shockwave, and then the door of the building, breaking it down and tumbling inside, where many Scraplets hidden among the debris of the greying, ruined interior scuttling away. This time, Starscream ended up on top of the pile, transformed, sprawled out exactly over Shockwave, his faceplate in contact with Shockwave's. As the spray of debris and dust cleared, Shockwave noticed where the Seeker had landed.

"Starscream, logic points towards one notion; Get off my frame now!"

"Wha...Aaarggh!" Starscream pulled his faceplate off Shockwave's quickly, knowing he was invading Shockwave's personal space. The purple mech seemed to really hate people looming near his face, after a certain accident involving his giant optic. Starscream, in a moment of amnesia, tried to stand up, only falling once again, again on his front, remembering his heel strut was broken. Shockwave picked himself up, helping Starscream up again. Since this time Starscream had the choice to refuse Shockwave's assistance, he pushed him away.

"I don't need your pity!" Starscream yelled. He dragged himself over to a wall, and lifted himself up, leaning on the wall on his side for support. His claws dug into the metal of the wall, leaving long claw marks.

"Must you leave claw marks on all you touch?!" Shockwave commented. Starscream paid no attention, instead turning his attention to a small door he could see in the dim light projected through the front doorway. A small door could be a storage room, hiding supplies which could be beneficial to the two. Starscream limped over to the door slowly, his clawed servos crawling over the metal sheet, hoping to find the switch which opened the door. Fiding the switch, Starscream activated the door. However, nothing happened. Starscream instantly guessed the door was jammed from the many years of neglect it had faced. Starscream growled, sunk his claws into the door and pulled hard. He knew Shockwave would be more than willing to help, especialy at the prospects of gaining weapons, but being the defiant creature he was, he decided against requesting for his help. Starscream yanked the door hard once more, trying to make as little noise as possible. A slow creak could be heard, along with a tremendous screeching of metal on metal as Starscream managed to open the reluctant door an inch. Shockwave turned around, hearing this sound. He had been exploring the opposite side of the building, managing only to find one small, empty room. Starscream peeked inside the recently opened room, his red optic shining light on the long forgotten items in the room. Scraplets could be heard clearing the room.

"Starscream, what have you found?" Shockwave asked, walking closer to the door.

"I can't see ye...Hey!" Shockwave easily pushed the door open, the horrific screeching noise ringing loudly causing Starscream to hiss angrily. "I was going to do that!"

"You are too weak to open the door in your current state." Shockwave stated, a thin blue bean scanning Starscream as he made the statement.

" I was making sure the Scraplets would not...Are you scanning me?!" Starscream snarled. " I didn't give you permission for that!" The Seeker hissed, swiping at Shockwave. Shockwave avoided the attack, walking into the open room. His optics lit up the room, illuminating it. Starscream followed suit, entering the room.

The room was an old storeroom, consisting of old, empty Energon cubes and weapons, many too far damaged by Scraplets to even salvage. "This is useless...There's nothing here..."

Shockwave moved towards the pile of Energon cubes, and scanned them, hoping to find even a drop of the life-sustaining fluid. Detecting Energon, Shockwave swept empty cubes out of the way frantically, some of them almost hitting Starscream. The purple mech finally revealed an Energon cube which was about 1/8th full. Starscream reached out for the cube, only to receive a slap on the appendage.

"We need to conserve this. Currently this is the only cube we have."

"I'm injured! I need that more than you!" Starscream argued.

Shockwave sighed. He put the cube back into the pile, and went to scan the damaged weapons. He picked up what could be salvaged the useable parts of the Scraplet-ravaged guns, and slowly contemplated what he could do with them. "I believe using these items, I can create a crude weapon of sorts."

Starscream had a thought about it as well. "I do know how to construct an Energon extractor of sorts. Based on the Relic and research of which I had been involved in many years ago, of course."

"...A logical choice." Shockwave announced, thinking about Starscream's statement. An Energon extractor would help them save up Energon. If they were just to snare others and drink Energon directly from them, they could waste much of the precious fuel and even contract any virus planted in them. An Energon extractor would help them purify the fuel, and help to not waste any. "However, where will we find a suitable 'host' for the extractor?"

Starscream sighed. "Obviously, we capture someone! We may also acquire parts we need!" Starscream yelled, pointing to his wings. He snatched one of the broken weapons up from the pile, taking it apart. He pulled a component out, studying it.

"Starscream...We have very little resources. If we are to hunt for a 'host', we need to be careful else we might..."

"I know!' Starscream yelled. "And that's why YOU will hunt! I will develop the weapon here, while you find me someone I can use it on! The rain's stopped. Go!"

"...That would be the logical choice. However..." Shockwave disliked the idea, however it did have some sense of logic in it. It would make sense Starscream stayed off the line of combat due to his injuries, where he could indeed create the weapon. Shockwave's good sense, however, nagged at him. He knew Starscream would always have that betrayal complex, so he had to be wary. He needed confirmation of Starscream's actions. "I need to see the blueprints of the weapon. If you are truly making one, that is..."

"I may be traitorous, but hear this, Shockwave..." Starscream leaned in closer to Shockwave, his head crest almost in contact with Shockwave's. "Do you think I will be able to make an escape and betrayal in my current state?"

Shockwave winced in his head. He did raise a good point. Starscream couldn't even walk without hobbling awkwardly, much less fly. He contemplated for a minute, then made a final decision. "Very well...I still need to see the blueprint."

Starscream snarled. "I only know of the plans in my mind. You will need a Cortical Psychic Patch to get any intel from me..."

"Starscream...draw the plans for me.." Shockwave knew Starscream was being evasive about it. However, the reasons were unknown.

"What?!" Starscream snarled. "...very well..." He went over to a wall, still limping. He scratched the plans into the wall, allowing Shockwave to see them after a while of scrawling and scratching. Shockwave studied the plans, slowly seeing the problems in it. Shockwave knew the weapon would be unstable, and he believed Starscream did as well. Perhaps that was why he preferred not to reveal the plan?

"The weapon is very unstable, Starscream. It could..."

"Do you think I am not aware of the consequences? If you're so damn smart, YOU make the weapon!" Starscream spat "It's the only version I can make with these meager supplies!"

"Perhaps that is true..." Shockwave only growled. "...I will go now...Make sure the weapon is COMPLETE before I get back..."

"There's nothing else I can do in my current state..." Starscream reminded Shockwave. The purple scientist exited the building not saying another word, only cocking his gun, which did enough of the talking.

* * *

Shockwave scanned the terrain near the explosion site of the pod. There was no life to be seen, only Scraplets making the most of their snack before being chased off by Shockwave. Shockwave quickly scanned the area, hoping to find life.

"Nothing...only Scraplets..." Shockwave reported to no-one in particular. He knew he would have to venture out further, but knowing the Autobots would probably have a bounty on his head, he had to be careful. He transformed, flying low to the terrain to avoid being seen ad sped off to a remote part of Kaon, hoping to find a test subject while avoiding any unwanted attention. Cybertron was still mostly desolated place, but Insecticons and Junkions still ran amok, congregating on places where previous Autobots, Decepticons and other factions used to live, where most remains of past victims and warriors were strewn, feeding the wild pests. Almost immediately, Shockwave spotted a subject. A normal, run-of-the-mill Insecticon, thankfully not too large. Hopefully, it wouldn't be too hard to catch and subdue. Shockwave transformed into his bipedal form quite a distance away from the creature, trying not to alarm it. He hoped to catch it unaware, averting the possibility of a long chase which would drain his Energon. Shockwave made a beeline to a large piece of debris, hiding behind it. He planned to slowly make his way behind the insect, and stun it with a blast from his gun, which would paralyse it if shot in the right place, but not kill it or create any large holes which would bleed it before he could even haul it back to Starscream. Shockwave kept his noises to a minimum, and just hoped that the Insecticon would not be able to pick up any other traces, such as his heat signature or scent. Shockwave, seeing the giant creature had turned its back on him, snuck up behind another broken building, managing to get just out of the line of vision of the monster as it turned, noticing a sound. Staring for a minute at the decimated building Shockwave had made his hiding place, the Insecticon turned, on its way as it dismissed the noises as that of a Scraplet, continuing on its journey. Shockwave slowly uncovered himself, sneaking up carefully on the unaware insect. He knew he could transform and take it out by plowing into him, but he did not take the chance. Transformation would be too noisy, and the blast may not hit the area it needed to. Shockwave carefully planned his steps, as not to crush any debris under his leg. He often checked the ground, but made sure not to take his eyes of the Insecticon for more than a few kliks. The Insecticon, his prey, continued its journey, unaware of its stalker. Shockwave winced as he heard a loud crack which came from the ground. Looking down, he saw he had crushed a piece of what had previously been armour belonging to somebody. In a split second, the giant bug had turned around. It made a few loud ' _kree_ 's, before turning around once more. Shockwave, in the heat of the moment, had buried himself under a pile of rubble just as the behemoth turned around once again in this game of Giant's Treasure. Shockwave had considerably closed the distance, now mere bodylengths away from the Insecticon. Shockwave knew the creature's alertness had been raised; any wrong move now and it would surely bolt, or worse,  _attack_. Finally, the insect had stopped for a moment. Shockwave mentally sighed in relief; this stalking alone had drained 10% of his reserves. The Insecticon buried it head into the ground, detecting something of use. Shockwave was now close enough to shoot Aiming his gun directly at the base of the creature's wings, he fired a shot. His last shot.

Bingo. The Insecticon screamed as its back was lit up in a purplish light by the energy bullet, turning around and lashing out at Shockwave before it fell, crashing on the debris-covered ground, sending clouds of dust and shards of rubble to go flying, some even hitting Shockwave himself. The creature's deadly jaws landed a mere few metres away from Shockwave. Success.

 _"Starscream, I am returning with our test subject. However, this might take a while, _almost a solar cycle_."_  Shockwave comm'ed Starscream.

 _"Understood."_  The Seeker responded. All the purple mech had to do now was to bring the massive creature back to Starscream. However, that wasn't going to be in any measure and easy task...

* * *

Starscream huffed as Shockwave left the building to go hunt for the required test subject. The thin and injured Seeker slowly hobbled to the pile of weapons, and slowly squatted down on his remaining heel, scanning the weapons himself as to recheck what supplies he had to make the weapon. He slowly analyzed each weapon, taking mental notes of what parts were available to him.

"Hmph. Not many useable parts...damn Scraplets...yet..." Starscream picked up some of the weapons, throwing them on the nearby table, crushing some dead Scraplets, all while talking to himself in his familiar soliloquy-style reminders to himself. Starscream walked over and slowly took apart the various weapons, laying the parts out on the table. "Hmm...If I combine the particle analyzer with the EMP pulse generator...then I can avoid using the currently unavailable yet preferred atom extractor..." Starscream picked up the two parts. Striking his claw on the table repeatedly, he managed to create a crude soldering tool with it. Starscream began carefully welding the two parts together, careful as not to damage them with his other claws. A spike of pain surged up Starscream's wings and back. Starscream shuddered, but pushed away the pain, returning to his work. The Seeker, once done with sealing the items together, put them aside and went to his blueprints. Looking back at the dissected weapons, he crossed out something in the blueprints. "An improvement could be made here if..."

* * *

Dragging the stunned creature, Shockwave sighed, noticing his Energon levels had dratically dropped, bordering dangerously low levels. He had moved about 20 Earth kilometres with the Insecticon, and using his previously calculated prediction, he came to the conclusion that it would take him just under a solar cycle to get the creature back to their 'base'. The variables of the trip were what spooked him, though. If he was seen by others, things could take a turn for the worse. The even scarier variable was that of his constantly dropping Energon levels.  _He would not have enough to make it back_. Shockwave had thought about just ripping the Insecticon apart to get at it's lifeblood, but he knew some Energon would be spilt, and therefore wasted. Shockwave snarled, knowing he was stuck in a bad situation. The purple mech checked his Energon levels again. Very low...He had to get to the base. Quickly. He contemplated calling for Starscream to come assist him by bringing the half-cube still at the base, but knowing of his condition, he would be more of a bother than a help. Shockwave put the Insecticon down for a moment, scanning the rubble under him. Shockwave stopped as he scanned a small crystal, leaning down to find it. A lucky find indeed. Energon very rarely was just left lying around like this. The floor was covered in rubble from the past, however, so shards like these were probably more common now. He picked the small crystal up, feeling a small sense of relief. Shockwave pushed aside some plates on his upper body, and inserted the crystal into himself, instantly feeling the boost of energy it gave him. He revived slowly, picked up the Insecticon, and continued the trek back to the base.

* * *

"Come on..." Starscream yelled to himself, trying to start up the machine he had made. It was of an archaic design, resembling a gun with a large, mechanical midsection, a design he knew well when he himself had worked on a prototype of an artificial extractor many years ago in the Great War as a substitute to the Relic which did the same action, only much faster. Starscream predicted from previous experiences that the Energon extractor he had just finished would operate much slower than the Relic, taking about tenfold longer to extract the same amount of Energon as the Relic. Starscream was currently aiming the weapon at an unsuspecting Scraplet, which was engrossed in one of the more unrecoverable weapons. The Seeker once again attempted to start up the weapon, softly tapping it. A soft whirr was heard, and the second later, a tendril of energy was drawn out from the surprised Scraplet, the pest trying to pull itself away from the suction of the device. Starscream laughed, feeling the power of playing with the lives of others, something he often did in the War. He felt empowered, yet...he could feel as if something else fueled his mania. Starscream laughed it off, thinking it was mainly the fact he hadn't got the opportunity to truly slag anyone in a long time. A few minutes later, Starscream flared his wings in victory as the tiny pest started evidently losing the battle with the machine, its small claws leaving a trail as it slowly slid to the ground. The Seeker had fixed his wings slightly using some old metal which he had found. It did the job albeit being a weaker material, welds holding them in place yet with a considerate amount of looseness. Starscream made sure to be careful as he made his way back to the table, knowing of the fragility of the weapon and his limp due to the missing heel strut. The Seeker, setting the weapon down, heard the ping of his internal comm. It was a message from Shockwave.

_"Starscream, I am returning with our test subject. However, this might take a while, almost a solar cycle."_

Starscream sent only a single word.  _"Understood." Finally,_ thought the Seeker. But a while! Did Shockwave fly off somewhere?! Starscream sighed with a hint of snark, looking at the weapon. To pass the time and take his mind off the niggling pain from his wings and heel strut, he picked up the extractor and went back to the storeroom where he had 'disabled' the previous Scraplet. Aiming the weapon at another one of the unfortunate bugs, Stascream fired up the weapon, feeling the charge of the weapon as it decided the fate of the selected Scraplet. Draining the insect dead, Starscream found the cube of Energon they had found earlier and emptied the Energon he had extracted with the weapon into it, almost filling it to the half-full mark. Reminding the Seeker of his own condition, he ran a systems check. Alarmed he only had 20% Energon left, Starscream quickly downed the cube he had in his hand. His Energon levels rose to only 50%. Starscream thought of his options. At all costs, he needed to save any fuel he had. He could go into recharge to conserve his fuel. He knew he would use his reserves faster as he was injured, and since Shockwave was still quite a distance away, he could do nothing but wait, especially in his condition. Deciding on succumbing to stassis, the Seeker hid himself in the storage room and not wasting even the time to set himself down on the floor, he fell to the ground, unconscious.

* * *

Shockwave, still dragging the unconscious creature across the ground, saw the base in the horizon, only a mere spot amongst the rubble. The daylight had faded, leaving Shockwave in darkness. The whole task of dragging the creature back to base had been an arduous one, a small shower of acid rain causing Shockwave to have to stop and find shelter for a while. Shockwave continued to drag the giant creature in the murkiness of night, never resting. He was getting close. It had almost totaled the time of a solar cycle, and Shockwave just hoped that Starscream had finished the weapon.

As Shockwave reached the broken-down door of the base, he stared inside the building. He saw a long silver heel sticking out from the storage room. No! Had Starscream been attacked? Shockwave dragged the Insecticon into the main room, dropping it. He ran into the storage room. He knew he had no weapons such as guns, so he had to be even more careful. Shockwave instantly dropped his guard as he realised what Starscream was actually doing.

"Starscream! Get up!" Shockwave prodded the Seeker with his foot, receiving a slap on his foot by a clawed hand.

"I'm up. Just resting my optics...and my whole system..." Starscream shook himself of the fog of waking, walking over to the table, almost screaming as he saw the Insecticon Shockwave had captured. Starscream picked up his weapon, and aimed it at the pest. The familiar whirr rung out from the weapon, and Energon began being drained from the Insecticon, the monster rousing. Starscream stepped back slightly, the Insecticon letting out a yowl as its lifeblood was forcefully taken. It finally got to its feet, trying to drag itself away from the clutches of the weapon, only to trip and fall. "This might take a while..." Starscream reported to Shockwave, feeling a hint of deja vu. Shockwave raised a suggestion, thinking of something.

"Perhaps you should set the weapon down on the table." Shockwave told Starscream. The Seeker, seeing the logic of the idea, set the extractor down on the table. It was quite a heavy object...Starscream watched carefully as the monster grew weaker and weaker, weakened by its efforts and the extractor. Starscream felt a sick kind of glee watching all of this, aided by his unexpected bloodlust. Shockwave had gone into the storage room, looking for the spare cube they had. Failing to find it, Shockwave asked Starscream of its location. "Do you know where the cube is?"

The Seeker, knowing he had already consumed the contents, shrunk down a little, his wings sinking down. "I...drank it."

Shockwave sighed. He guessed Starscream would do something like this. The purple scientist checked his Energon levels, realising he only had 40% left. He would hopefully just have enough to hold out until the Insecticon was totally drained. "Next time, tell me if you have done so..." Shockwave coldly told Starscream, who only scoffed. "If we are to survive, we must work as a team..."

Starscream scoffed. "As if you'd know..." The Seeker went out a bit, looking around, leaving Shockwave to watch after the Insecticon. Not many buildings covered the desolate area, and what buildings did had long ago faded into the rubble of the ground, merging with the victims of the War. This area, even in the Golden Age, had been rather quiet despite being near Kaon. Or perhaps being near Kaon, the roughest, deadliest area was the reason. The wreckage of the pod they arrived in sat at the far left of the building, the destroyed vehicle having stopped smoldering. Scraplets swarmed it, gnawing away at it. Suddenly, a shrill whirr was heard from inside the building. Starscream turned, and saw the Insecticon had stopped being drained of Energon. The process was finished. Starscream picked up the extractor, then yelled at Shockwave. "Shockwave, get me an Energon cube!"

Shockwave, still in the storage room went over to the pile of empty cubes and picked up three. He piled them on the table and patiently waited by Starscream's side. Starscream unloaded the Energon he had collected into the cubes, where it perfectly filled all three. He handed a cube to Shockwave, obviously feeling good with himself and the weapon he had made.

"Drink up. Hopefully, we can survive this way. For now..." Shockwave took the cube from a smiling Starscream. Shockwave slowly downed the cube, contrasting the Seeker who was chugging the cube at an insane rate. After Starscream had finished, he turned his attention to the Insecticon, scanning it for parts. Starscream grinned as he scanned its wings, realizing they would be compatible with him with a few tweaks. The Seeker began cutting away at the appendage, collecting them. Shockwave looked over at Starscream, contemplating the previous repairs he had done on himself. The repair job was choppy and low quality, obviously from having no-one to help him.

"Maybe I can help you attach your new wings? Your previous attempts are very rough and..."

"No! I need no help!" Starscream snarled. He struck his claw, making his welding tool. Shockwave only sighed, showing the Seeker the drill he had on his hand. Starscream, looking over at the drill thought about it. It would be easier...and less painful. Hopefully. Shockwave continued showing Starscream the drill until he finally gave up. "Very well..." Starscream handed the wings to him, and turned around as so his wings faced Shockwave. "Be careful."

"I will be. Much like Knock Out and Breakdown, I will help you maintain your frame while you..."

"And how will you trust me to take care of you...AAARRGH!" Starscream yelled as Shockwave roughly tugged at a loose part of Starscream's wing.

"Why must you be so stubborn. You cannot survive alone!"

"Yes I can! I did it on Earth, remember?!"

"Yes. By stealing from the Nemesis..." Shockwave added.

"I am a scavenger, much like Airachnid when it comes to this." Starscreasm growled, yelping sharply as he felt another jab of pain. "Do you not have anything to stop the pain?!" Starscream seethed.

"No."

* * *

About a few micro-cycles later, Starscream's wings had been completely fixed. Shockwave, meanwhile, had put the remaining cube away and had gone to recharge, using an old piece of metal to keep himself off the rubble and ground. The Seeker himself was still up, however. Outside, it was very dark now. An eerie aura surrounded the area. The sharp clinking of the legs of Scraplets were the only sound that rung out in the depths of the murkiness of outside. Starscream flared his wings, wanting to take off into the night as he did many nights back in the Golden Age. He was truly what the Earthlings referred to as a 'night owl'. However, he had to remember to conserve his fuel supply. Who knew what tomorrow could bring. The Seeker slowly walked outside, his heel strut also having been fixed, this time, by himself. He let the cool bite of the wind carry him into memories of the Golden Age of CYbertron when he had been the Prince of Vos, royalty and leader of the valiant Seekers. He remembered his old Trine, his closest friends Skywarp and Thundercracker, the two who could be anywhere in the Universe knowing Skywarp's warping abilities. He also remembered old experiments he had done, one in particular which for some reason stuck out in his mind.

Clones. The five he had created on Earth weren't the first he had created...

* * *

_High hopes. That was what he felt for these six. Each clone, sporting a different paintjob and frame differences stood proudly in front of him. Starscream still possessed his tricolour, more bulky form, one of the first forms he had possessed. The scientist laughed as he pulled the switch to activate the sparks in them. The first to wake was one he had designated Slipstream, the Seeker with a purple and turquoise design. She was thin and small, yet she held herself high. She possessed thin, purple optics which gave the expression of pride. Next to come online was Skywarp; a different Skywarp from his old friend. This Seeker had a frame much like Starscream, except for his colours which were black and purple. Next was Nightfire, a larger Seeker with a sharp black and red paintjob. Her helm was very decorative, with long, sharp spikes lined in purple. Her huge purple-tipped claws clashed against their restraints while her large, sharp wings flapped in protest against the wall. She screeched loudly, exposing her long fangs to Starscream, who quickly ducked behind a table. The other Seekers also came online, some also struggling but not quite as much as Nightfire, who was screaming. Starscream got up, slowly walking to the Seekers._

_"I am Starscream, your creator and prince of Vos. Bow to me."_

_All the Seekers, feeling a tug on their Spark, calmed including Nightfire. Starscream then decided it was time. Time to release his army...Pulling the switch to release the Seekers, he then saw a claw tipped with purple swiping over him._

* * *

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	2. Chapter II: Symptoms Of Madness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Landing in a small area near Kaon after the destruction of the forged Omega Lock, Shockwave and Starscream hide from the Autobots who have issued a 'seek and kill' order on the two. Running on meager supplies, Shockwave and Starscream exist as scavengers and thieves, knowing if they were to visit an Energon stockpile, they would be recognized. Cybertron has been rehabitated, many returning from far-off ends of the galaxy, and the prospect of another Golden Era is nearing the planet and its inhabitants.

**Psychosis:**

**Chapter II: Symptoms Of Madness  
**

...some Earthen months later...

At the crack of sunlight on the replenished planet of Cybertron, a figure stirred in a small, ruined living quarter at an area on the far edges of the gladiatorial town, Kaon. Shockwave had come out of recharge early, as he did every morning. Being a creature of habit, he decided to check the supplies, as he usually did everyday to make sure they'd have enough stocks to survive. He went to the supplies store, a squalid, old room which was falling apart due to neglect and abuse by Scraplets. The door had been repaired slightly, however it still malfunctioned most of the time. Shockwave snarled as the door to the room stuck again, the mechanism making an abhorent noise as it protested against Shockwave forcing it open. When he managed to wrestle open the door, he entered the room, regaining his calm veneer. Shockwave scanned the supplies, making mental registries of which ones need replenishing and replacing. Energon cubes occupied the near left corner of the room. The weapons and ammo, all stolen from others which the pair had attacked, hung loosely from small hooks hammered into the wall. Physical bullets lay in an unused Energon cube also hung from the wall. Larger weapons which the hooks could not hold were stored in orifices dug into the thick wall of the building they called their base.

"Ammo..." Shockwave ran a purple scanning beacon over the stockpile, taking in the amount of ammunition left. Compared to a normal emergency stockpile, the ammunition was nothing. Cybertronian weapons usually ran on Energon, however since the visit to Earth, some Decepticons had managed to develop weapons which ran on metal and explosives bullets, thus saving Energon for the troops. Shockwave knew Starscream and he would need to rely on the typical Energon beam weapons very soon, and only hoped that they would find more of the substance soon. "Barely enough to last us a solar cycle." The mech concluded the scan.

 _Moving on,_ thought Shockwave. He moved slowly onto the metal boxes containing Energon, and promptly scanned the pile, which was made up of a mix of empty and full cubes. The amount of empty cubes seemed to outnumber the full cubes.

"Energon..." Deploying the beam again, Shockwave scanned the pile slowly, almost as if he didn't want to know how much they still had. Or rather, how little... "Almost depleted." He was horrified when he found they only had two cubes left. He had expected they still had more. The check yesterday had confirmed ten cubes. Odd.

"..." Shockwave contemplated the problem. Did Starscream steal them? "No...most definately not. It would be illogical to steal from one's own supply." Would he work with someone else? No. Starscream, as far as he knew, always preferred to be alone unless with the Seekers. Considering Vos, the land of the Seekers, was almost on the opposite side of Cybertron, it would be illogical to fly that far to deliver Energon. Shockwave also knew the biggest Energon mines were in Vos, so Starscream giving someone help there was preposterous. In fact, if he did go to Vos, he would probably be _stealing_ Energon. Concluding he did not steal the Energon, Shockwave had to inform Starscream. As much as he detested the traitor, he knew they had to work together if they ever wanted to survive. Today's plans would logically consist of Energon scouting. Hopefully, they would find something this time. Project Predacon had all but died, Shockwave's secret labyrinths having been found and taken down with the help of information obtained under mysterious circumstances by the Autobots through some sort of encrypted message sent from an unknown third party who had a strong vendetta against the scientist. Shockwave's life work had been collected by the Autobots, possesing one copy of the files, while all other traces of the work had been all but obliterated along with all of Shockwave's hidden bases and experimental laboratories. Shockwave had once tried visiting the old labs during one grim day, and found nothing of which could be retrieved. The only copy of the data he held now were the notes and blueprints in his mind, locked away amongst eon after eon of new endeavors. Supplies ran at an all time low almost every day, and things were not looking up for the two. The extractor Starscream had built had unfortunately fallen victim to a crowd of hungry Scraplets, and ever since, the pair have not been able to find the proper materials to build another one. Scouting was a risk as well as all comlink tech was out of bounds, as Autobots could track the signature easily. Scouting nowadays mostly consisted of staying close to each other, and only breaking off into individuals when absolutely nessecary. Shockwave picked up some weapons and ammo and went off to inform Starscream, who was evidently still in recharge. The storeroom door was pulled shut as it jammed again. The door had received many repair attempts from the two, however, the door was so badly treated beforehand that even regular service couldn't fix it. The whole thing would have to be replaced, which with the scouting luck of the pair, wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

"Note to self: Door requires parts and oil. Scout for these items as well as Energon. Be on guard for an Energon thief."

Shockwave turned the corner, crossed the middle room and entered his quarters, which were shared by Starscream. A small, cramped room even for one, two recharge pods stolen from somplace else took up almost all of the room. Since the entrance to the room was placed in the middle of the wall, the pods were placed at each extremity of the tiny space. A few shelves occupied the wall above the pods. Shockwave's shelves contained only a few important 'medical' tools; tools which could be easily installed into his 'toolbox' arm. Two Predacon fossils were laid out on the top shelf, shielded by a clear cover. The two fossils posessed designations, written on the fossils themselves. One was marked 'Darksteel', the other 'Skylynx'. Shockwave's belongings contrasted Starscream's both in practicality and amount. As Starscream was a Seeker, he had a knack of collecting things. As a result of this. his side of the room held many possesions, items such as datapads, armour and parts, mostly that of his fallen enemies that would be 'useful' to him, such as a replacement claw snatched from Predaking in a struggle. A chunk of Optimus Prime's armour occupying the second top shelf seemed more like an unusual trophy, akin to the thousands Airachnid had. What was even more unusual was the dead hatchling on the top shelf. The creature seemed it was only there as a morbid reminder of events passed. Or a reminder to anyone not to cross Starscream. Odd. He hadn't seen it there before...Shockwave stopped his analysis of Starscream's possessions and instead glanced at the pod containing Starscream. Correct to his assumption, Starscream was still comatose in a recharge pod. Shockwave took the transparent cover off the pod, Starscream slightly stirring as the cold of the outside hit him.

"What is the plan for today, Starscream? I believe it is logical to scout for Energon. Our supplies are getting low. Shall I get our emergency weapons ready?"

No answer. Starscream's optics were still not online, but Shockwave could hear Starscream's internal gears whirring and starting up. Shockwave knew Starscream was just ignoring him. Obviously Starscream was still unaware of the fact they only had two Energon cubes left.

"Starscream, it is logical you listen to what I have to say."

Starscream only raised a hand and batted Shockwave in the leg. "We have enough Energon..."

"We only have two cubes left! Somebody took our Energon!" Shockwave snarled as he brushed Starscream's claw-servo off. It was odd for Starscream to act like this. He usually liked scouting for Energon as he would often be able to fly, a favorite pastime of his, to be able to take to the skies, the natural behaviour of a Seeker. "Do you not wish to spread your wings and fly for a bit? It is only logical..."

'Fine...only because our supplies are getting low!" Starscream onlined his optics and sat up, his upper body springing up like a Dark Energon zombie. He slipped off his berth, standing up, his armour plates shifting into their proper place after a long night of recharge. Creaking his fixed wings to get his hydraulics working, Starscream sighed. He felt incredibly worn out, even though he had had just enough Energon yesterday. He felt as if he had been flying around Cybertron the whole night...Perhaps he needed more Energon? He did, after all, scout for supplies the whole day. Without much luck. Sometimes, Starscream found himself waking up in the weirdest places. Sometimes he found himself in some far-off town, not a very good thing when others could see him, having the Autobot bounty above his head. It was an odd occurrence, and the Seeker suspected his sudden lethargy was caused by an unknowing night out. He was unsure how this occurred, though. Had he been struck by a virus? Starscream sighed, getting up, only to knock some items off his shelf thanks to a clumsy wing. Two pieces of leg armour, one piece of an internal mechanism, and one particular item which truly triggered Starscream's fear. A large, single claw, black tipped with purple. Something he always kept with him ever since...

"The clones." Starscream uttered, almost shaking. "Nightfire..." The claw had taken him back to the first night he had arrived on this barren wasteland, when he saw the vision of his past...

* * *

_He woke up, servos tied behind him, wings restrained. He was hung upside-down, his legs bound tightly with something which felt like a chain which dug into him causing an almost ungodly pain in them. His body screamed with agony, Energon leaking from his chestplates from a long, jagged scratch. Starscream could barely see anything in the darkness of the room he was in, only the blue glow of his own freshly-spilled Energon and the glow of the chain. Starscream screeched loudly, trying to bring some attention to himself. He thrashed around in his bonds, causing himself to swing around on the chain which trapped his long, slender legs. The Seeker yelled a feral roar of distress, trying to free himself. He tried to use his claws to cut through the chain which bound his servos, only to receive a shock when he cut into the electrified chain. Starscream tried to open his wings up, the clamp starting to really hurt his wings. Starscream could feel a drop of Energon drip onto his faceplate, the Seeker lapping the droplet up hoping to manage to save the Energon bleeding from him._

_"Get me out of this!" The Seeker yelled, thrashing even more. He managed to turn himself around, and almost screamed when he saw something awaiting him. Two purple, glowing optics stared at him menacingly. "Who are you?" Starscream yelled.  
_

_The optics narrowed. "The new you, my dear." A harsh, low, raspy voice rang out. Starscream shivered as he saw a large set of claws dripping in Energon bring itself near his faceplate. The unknown bot laid its hand on Starscream's faceplate, sinking the long claws into him. Starscream looked away as the claws dragged down his faceplate, eliciting droplets of Energon which mingled with the liquid already on the appendage. As he looked back, he got his first good look of the offender's servo. The claws were presumably black, with tips of purple. Purple...Starscream only knew of one who had such claws...  
_

_"Nightfire...why? You're my clone!" Starscream raspedv in his native tongue, Vosnian. A language which was comprised of high-pitched whirrs, clicks and sometimes growls, too high for most alien species to hear...His Vosnian may have been of a high standard, being the prince of said region, but compared to Nightfire, he seemed like a foreigner. Nightfire's Vosnian was eloquent, advanced and smooth, accent being much darker and harsher than Starscream's.  
_

_"No more time shall be wasted by me being your clone...I should be the leader, not you! And soon my dreams will come to fruition...with the destruction of you!" A smile revealing two long, jagged fangs appeared on the bot Starscream now knew was Nightfire. The smiling bot leaned in to Starscream, who swung himself back then smashed forward with his helm, attempting to hit Nightfire in the helm. The other Seeker, seeing the attack, quickly moved back rendering Starscream's attack useless. Nightfire laughed at Starscream's fruitless attempts to attack, stepping just out of his reach. The Seeker swung backwards, attempting to strike her again, but as he neared Nightfire with his helm, the other Seeker clutched Starscream's helm. Starscream yelled, trying to free himself from Nightfire's painful vice-like grip. Nightfire sunk her claws in, sending bolts of pure agony through Starscream.  
_

_"Yield..."_

_"Never!" Starscream snarled. "Get off me!"_

_"Yield..."_

_"No!"_

_"Yield...Starscream. Starscream..STARSCREAM!"_

* * *

"Starscream...STARSCREAM!" Shockwave yelled at a zoned-out Starscream, who jumped.

"We will definitely need to find more Energon. Yes..." Starscream quickly spat out, trying to cover his inattention.

"I am glad you agree with my logic." Shockwave replied, monotone as ever, although not as monotone as Soundwave, who was currently navigating the Shadowzone. Starscream took solace in that fact, knowing he'd have no power in intefering with any of his future plans, if he were to have any. Mostly, he was just happy that he wouldn't have to see him around ever again. The thin, grey Seeker slowly shuffled out of the rusty building with Shockwave and leapt up, transforming into a sleek Cybertronian jet form. He scanned the terrain, and targeted an area just above the horizon as his HUD returned a positive for Energon. Perfect. Energon hadn't been found in days for them, and a good find would set them up for an adequate amount of time. Until the mysterious thief struck again...Someone would need to guard the supplies store.

"Energon deposits detected, below the surface, no life to be detected. Hurry." Shockwave nodded.

"Acknowleged." Shockwave transformed, taking the shape of a terrain vehicle, and sped forward, trundling over broken road and debris. Starscream led, flying swiftly, making sure not fly too high as to avoid being sighted. Shockwave, meanwhile, found an old tunnel and signaled the Seeker to follow. Starscream dipped down, and glided into the small entrance of the structure, following the purple mech.

The tunnel was small and cramped for Cybertronian standards. Runoff, mostly rotting Energon and various fluids dripped from the ceiling. Droplets of the runoff hit the two ex-Decepticons as they travelled past, the pair showing apathy despite the fact the runoff could contain harmful substances detrimental to their health. Shockwave and Starscream continued towards their goal, disregarding anything except that which impaired their journey. At one point, Shockwave decimated a large rock which blocked their path. Starscream screeched in pure terror as the purple mech in front of him stabbed the rock with a large blade, twisting the blade sideways, cracking open the metal slab, the actions scaring the Seeker into almost clipping some rock debris and crashing. Repercussions from Megatron's untimely demise had often haunted Starscream, the trauma of seeing one of the youngest, greenest Autobots on Optimus's team kill the great leader too much for the Seeker. A young, green and _undead_...Megatron had been a good leader, something Starscream now wasn't afraid to admit, knowing now the fragility of his very own spark. Shockwave powered forward, plowing through the remnants of the huge rock.

"Energon is close. I can sense it."

The Seeker, on the other hand had slowed down considerably. Starscream felt disjointed all of a sudden, as if a force from deep inside him was pulling him into the realm of unconsciousness.

"What the..." Starscream suddenly noticed his line of vision was becoming blurred and dark. Warnings from his HUD began obscuring his vision, causing him to swerve. Shockwave had sped ahead, detecting traces of Energon. Starscream had slowed almost to a hover, his helm beginning to feel tight. What was happening? Had he come under attack from a virus? Starscream eventually began to lose control of his body, unable to make any sound to warn Shockwave. He transformed unwillingly, and sagged to the floor of the tunnel, crashing quietly into the crumbling rubble, his consciousness waning. He felt control of his body slowly returning as he picked himself up slowly, using his servos to lift himself off the ground

_"Yield..."_

"Yield?!" Starscream flinched as he heard a foreign voice. It belonged to neither him, Shockwave or anyone else he knew of. The voice was raspy, much like his own, but seemed to be discorded and distant. It had a demonic quality to it. The voice echoed loudly, confusing the Seeker. Was it his imagination or real?! He didn't recognize the odd, distorted voice at all. The Seeker, already puzzled over his sudden weakness, clutched the ground in pain and frustration, leaving long, jagged claw marks as the tightness in his helm suddenly intensified. He tried to speak, but found he still could not utter a single sound.

_"Yield..."_

The same voice again, the same word. Yield...Starscream huffed. Never would be yield to anyone! Not even for Megatron! Megatron...Starscream felt a sharp pain suddenly strike the base of his wings, causing a sound to be finally torn from him. A screech of pain. He looked back, his neck joint still being able to freely move, and saw...

Nothing...Suddenly, a wave of freezing cold struck his spark. Or was it blazing heat? Starscream had no means or time to distinguish as he clutched his chestplates, immense pain ravaging him. This time, Starscream truly lost consciousness and fell to the ground, defeated. Before he fell, a wave of tremendous fear waged over him. He just hoped his premonition was wrong...a realization, more of a memory, floated around his mind:

This was no virus, it was her...the voice, that word...the visions...it all pointed to her...

Nightfire.

* * *

Shockwave had stopped at a crossroads to wait for Starscream. He noticed his tail had lagged behind, even disappearing from sight. Shockwave wondered to himself, thinking why Starscream could've fallen behind. Had her seen enemies? Perhaps he had went off to pursue another Energon deposit they had previously missed. Many ideas ran through his mind, but one made itself most prominent. Enemies...

"No! We can't let others get the Energon!" Believing Starscream was in the process of defending their find, Shockwave hurriedly scanned the tunnels, entering the one on the right which pinged positive for Energon. Shockwave the approached the small, excavated cave, which was lined with small crystals of Energon. Traces of past activity came to Shockwave's attention, the mech now concluding that this had been a past mine, abandoned after all previous Energon deposits had been taken. These bright blue crystals must have only recently formed. Shockwave quickly collected the crystals, and transformed, storing the crystals inside him. Shockwave powered over crystal rocks and broken metal, back out the crossroads, and travelled to the exit, transforming and arming himself in case an enemy were to show itself. Starscream was notorious for leaving enemies alive...

"STARSCREAM!" Shockwave yelled as he saw the Seeker lying on the ground. Shockwave looked around, quickly securing the area with some strategically-placed time bombs. He quickly scanned the unconscious Starscream, surprised he had inherited no injuries. Why then, would he be knocked out spread out on the floor? Shockwave delivered a mild electrical shock through Starscream, which slowly returned him to the world of the conscious.

"Shockwave?" Starscream looked up curiously, "Why am I on the ground?" Shockwave vented in relief. Starscream sat up, looking around, trying to recall why just happened as memories slowly trickled back to him. "...The Energon! Have you..."

"Yes. The logical choice."

"Indeed...even though you LEFT me here to go off on your own with your damned 'logic'..." Starscream spat with slight malice, finally remembering he had fainted after a truly...odd...occurrence. It had to be a virus. No way. She...Night...Not her. It couldn't be. She was gone...

"I only logically believed you were fighting off unwanted visitors." Shockwave reported. "Our Energon would've been at risk if..." Shockwave was quickly cut off by a screech, followed by a clawed servo covering his giant red optic.

"If I was fighting, there would be noise! You left me!" Starscream argued, being his accusing and paranoid self. "You wanted the Energon all for yourself!" His burning red optics flared, and so did his wings. Starscream could feel a burning anger rise up in him. It was fierce, like nothing else he had felt before...it was strange, as if he couldn't control it...the virus. Starscream pushed past Shockwave, trying to calm himself down. He knew the virus would take over soon. He knew it. Dread filled him. Deep down, he hoped it would be a simple virus. But...he knew. She knew...He couldn't let Shockwave be affected by...

_"Yield..."_

"NEVER! NO, NO, NO!" The voice again. This time, Starscream knew it was her. A bot he'd never wish to see again...

"Starscream! Calm down!" Shockwave, hearing Starscream's distressed cries, ran quickly over, desperately tried to quiet him down as to avoid being detected by any potential enemy. Starscream wrenched himself free from Shockwave's grasp, screaming like a banshee while running. "We are safe!"

_"Time to take control..."_

"Run, Shockwave! I won't be able to contain it!" Starscream yelled, trying to flee. His frame didn't seem to obey, and he seemed to be internally fighting something, something akin to a virus. Certain viruses caused complete loss of control, and were often planted into others to extract information, a tactic used in the War. Shockwave stared at Starscream. What did he mean by 'he couldn't contain it'? Viruses didn't usually affect one this bad...not since the truly horrific ones had been disposed of...

"It would be logical..."

"Frag your logic. Just run!" Starscream cried, suddenly transforming into his jet form. "I can't control it anymore!" He flew towards Shockwave, barely missing him. Barely controlling his flight, Starscream barrel rolled out of the tunnel, and flew into the distance, disregarding the fact he had to avoid witnesses. Shockwave watched as Starscream lost altitude and crashed in a Kaon settlement nearby. Scanning the nearby settlement, Shockwave gathered information about the rough area and made a conclusion on Starscream's impending fate.

"Kaon, Sector..." Shockwave made a click and a high-pitched whirr, the name of the sector, which was impossible to pronounce in most alien languages. Shockwave had once visited the area. Even before the Great War, it was an extremely rough and violent place to be. If one was not prepared for what await them, they would most certainly meet a quick-and nasty-end. The scientist, after chewing over some variables, made a quick conclusion about Starscream's fate.

"Logic states...Starscream will not live past this solar cycle..."

* * *

"Well, well, well, what have we got here?!" a voice purred. Starscream looked up to meet the optics of two menacing gladiators, one large, silver and bulky, one small and built for speed. The two leered down at Starscream, who was just starting to remember what had happened beforehand to send him into this junkyard of an area.

"A Seeker. Looks like the old prince, too. What was his name again...Starscream. That was it..." Remembering something, the gladiator asked the other gladiator. "Hey, Speedblades, doesn't that Autobot team want this guy?" The gladiator commented, remembering the bounty causing his friend to say something of her own.

"We may get something for our trouble...Maybe some High Grade. It's been ages since I've had any...The Autobots are pretty nice, especially that Optimus Prime...even if they DO wanna possibly kill our whole planet just to save some miserable squishy aliens..." She laughed, picking up Starscream's leg. The other gladiator restrained his arms before he could even act. "Were you one of Megatron's troops or something, Starscream?!" She put emphasis on his name. "That guy was a legend...Can't believe he's dead...Taken down by a tiny little scout!" Speedblades scoffed. She admired Megatron, especially his ideology of saving the planet. "Now back to the ransom...Where's your 'Con buddy, Shockwave?"

"Let me go!" yelled Starscream, his voice suddenly deeper and raspier, disregarding Speedblade's comments about him and Megatron. He couldn't get taken to the Autobots. For his trechery he would most certainly be killed!

"It has a temper..." teased the bigger gladiator.

"It just might bite." The smaller added.

"And I will!" The Seeker in grey yelled. "Let me go now!" Starscream kicked his leg, but was no match for the gladiator's strength. "Get off me! I will hurt you!"

"Ooh, I'm _so_ scared!" commented the smaller gladiator, laughing. She stuck out her finger near Starscream's faceplate, teasing him. "Come on, sink your denta in...Aargh!"

Starscream had actually bitten her. He recieved a blade in the faceplate by the enraged gladiator, causing him to unclench his jaw and let go of the gladiator's finger. Energon began dripping from the thin cut on his jaw.

"Oh, you want to play it that way?"

"Let's just get Starscream back to base, Speedblades." said the bigger gladiator, who lifted Starscream to his feet.

"Fine. I was just having some fun..." A disgruntled gladiator snarled. She took up both of Starscream's legs, placing herself in the middle so that Starscream made a hammock between the two. Starscream once again tried to writhe out of their grip, but instantly ceased his movement when the larger gladiator gripped his wing and bent it slightly back, pain seething through the Seeker's back.

"NOT THE WINGS!"

"Then stop moving. It's simple." spat the smaller gladiator, Speedblades who was starting to get annoyed of Starscream. "Can a prince, especially the prince of the Seekers, get any more whiny?!"

"I am not whiny!" Starscream growled, fury building. He felt a sudden twinge in his spark. His optics flashed purple, the Seeker going into a trance. Speedblades and her friend did not notice the little flicker, although they did feel the blast which happened afterwards. Starscream had unloaded one of his arm missiles, which hit the gladiator behind him. He kicked and thrashed viciously, freeing his other arm and swiftly shot the other missile into Speedblades. The gladiator flew back, losing grip of Starscream before disappearing into a ball of flame. The larger gladiator had regained grip of Starscream's arms, holding tight. Not much damage graced his frame, unsuprisingly. The only evidence of the missile's existance was the burn mark. Starscream's missiles did not penetrate thick armour well. As the smoke in the distance cleared, the other gladiator was revealed, unconscious. Starscream laughed, the purple in his optics flashing brightly.

"Look what you did to Speedblad..AArrrggh!" The gladiator recoiled as a slim, sharp foot smashed his faceplate delivered by Starscream flinging his leg up and over. He let go of one of Starscream's arms. The Seeker, using the freed appendage, slashed at the gladiator's other wrist, freeing his other arm. He tumbled back, covering his faceplate where one of his optics had been smashed by the slender pede of Starscream. Starscream approached the distressed gladiator and opened up his claws, preparing to slash the gladiator's other optic, rendering him fully blind. He was stopped by a blade in his back, delivered by Speedblades, who had since recovered from the blast albeit with a large amount of armour blown off near her turned and thrust his claws into her unarmoured chest where her spark was. The shocked look on the gladiator said it all. Much like Cliffjumper, another bot he had killed in such a manner, Speedblades looked down, watching as the claw was wrenched out of her, holding in it parts of her spark chamber, her innermost Energon and other parts. The gladiator took one more pained gasp, then slowly withered to the ground as her life drained out of her. Starscream gleefully laughed, turning his attention back to the other gladiator, still holding his friend's broken, decimated spark in his claws.

"She was fast, however, not fast enough..." Starscream taunted. He smiled as the gladiator roared in angst, seeing the remains of his friend's life force.

"No! Speedblades!" The gladiator roared again, only getting a sadistic laugh from Starscream, who lifted the spark higher, the purple in his optics intensifying. Almost suddenly, his very own spark twinged. Suddenly snapping back into consciousness, Starscream looked at his hand. His optics returned to a rich red.

"What is.." Starscream looked at the carnage in his servo. "Who are..."

"SPEEDBLADES!" The half-blinded gladiator cried. Starscream stepped backwards, tripping over something. Speedblades. Looking at the torn-out shell of the bot then at the spark mess in his servos, he quickly pieced together what had happened. The spark...the injury...

"Did I...do that? The spark?" Starscream's wings drooped, and the Seeker shrunk down, still stepping back once he recovered himself. He was answered with a furious roar. "Yes, then..." Starscream moved back more, venting hard. "You're not going to take me to the Autobots, right?"

"GET BACK HERE!" The gladiator yelled, breaking into a sprint. The Seeker, noting he had no weapons left knew he had no choice if he were to make it out alive. How did he even manage to kill that 'Speedblades' character with this hulk around anyway?! Confused, Starscream turned around quickly and transformed, almost crashing into a roughly reconstructed building as he made his escape. Starscream flew higher over a taller building and quickly dipped again, going back below the field of vision of anyone far off. The Seeker slowly decended on a deserted piece of land, making use of part of a decimated building. He had to get back to the base. Quickly. What had just happened? All he remembered was going into a trance of sorts and then returning, without a single memory. He remembered being caught by the gladiators, but...nothing else. It was as if he had been unconscious for the proceedings beforehand...

What in the name on Primus was going on?!

Before he had time to answer his mental query, Starscream felt another sharp pain rip its way through him. He screeched loudly, not even bothering to keep a low profile anymore.

_"You didn't listen...I had to take control now...no more chances..."_

A low, spooky voice began ringing out in the Seeker's head. Starscream let out a surprised yelp. Her again...His chain of thought was broken as another wave of pain hit him, this time targeting his helm and spark. Starscream only had the time to utter the few clicks of his language which made up the words of his retaliation. "Never! I'm not losing to you again, Nightfire!"

_"Foolish little one...Have you forgot you have lost more than once to me...become servitude to my desires more than you wish to remind yourself..."_

"NO!" Starscream yelled, slamming himself against a wall. He yelled again, trying to ward off Nightfire. "I...will...never...YIELD!"

_"Never? You almost yielded to those gladiators! Without my help, you'd be Seeker cream by now!"_

"You..." Starscream gasped, realising just exactly what had just happened with the gladiators. "You didn't...You got me into this! What have you done?! If I am seen by anyone, they could..."

 _"Take you to the Autobots? Hmph. So what? It's not as if they would have the bearings to actually inflict any type of injury upon one...You're even more pathetic than I would have fathomed."_ Nightfire taunted.

"I'm only waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Maybe when I have some upgrades, and perhaps some followers..." Starscream muttered angrily. He hated being called weak, a pet peeve of his, one of which he had hoped to be rid of after being shed of the burden of Megatron.

 _"And when will that be? I would say never. You have me on your side, you know, the single sickest, deadliest bot on this side of the universe...and perhaps the other side as well..."_ Nightfire pridefully cooed, her ego showing painfully. _  
_

"And when did you start siding with me, Miss I-Want-To-Take-Over-Starscream's-Frame? And why do you presume I will help you?!" Starscream retorted smartly. A sinister chuckle could be heard, and then a light tug of his spark.

_"Have you forgot? I can control you. I've literally got your spark in my servo...Heh, heh, heh..."_

Starscream winced, his plan crashing into oblivion."Fine!" His spark felt as if it was truly being held by the cruel claws of Nightfire. Ever since she had reappeared, a heavy feeling in his spark had made itself known. Nightfire.

 _"Oh really? Your spark says otherwise..."_ A sharp pull of Starscream's spark caused him to double over, clutching his chestplates.

"No!" Starscream sighed. Could Nightfire..." The voice cut him off swiftly. The clutching feeling over his spark intensified.

 _"Read your tiny mind? Yes I can..."_ Nightfire let out a sick laugh, the sound cutting into Starscream's audials. Pausing for a moment, Starscream suddenly felt as if something had crawled through his mind. The Seeker jerked momentarily. _"I have the power to make you blurt out any secret I desire. Maybe you remember the time on the Nemesis a few Astrocycles ago when you attempted to raise an..."_

"No! Stop!" Starscream hissed. "You don't need to prove it!" Starscream hissed. Another feeling surged through his mind. His spark became tighter to the point it was almost unbearable.

_"Scared I might find...sensitive information? Hmph. Does the word 'stupid' ring a bell?!"_

Gotcha. Starscream almost blew up in anger, Nightfire having knowingly delved into a truly sensitive part of his memories. "STAY OUT OF MY MIND!" yelled the Seeker, the sentence sounding more like a deranged roar. "I will never let you control me!"

"You keep thinking that..." All of a sudden, Starscream felt another tearing pain in his spark. His field of vision became a brilliant white, the Seeker keeling over once again, succumbing to the light gravity of Cybertron. The world became a blur around hims as he waned into stassis, vision fading into darkness.

* * *

Starting at the front of the base, Shockwave entered slowly, wondering of his options now that he had no one to, as he put it, 'cover his back'. Somehow, he also felt relieved, the traitorous streak of Starscream and the prospect of metaphorically and even possibly literally finding an Energon blade in his back now nothing but a past memory. Shockwave knew he would have to watch his back, look over his shoulder constantly, knowing of many who would want to take them down now that somebot possibly knew of their approximate location due to Starscream's crash which would have drawn attention. According to data he had drawn about the certain sector of Kaon Starscream had had the misfortune to crash in, if the Seeker had managed to get a lucky break from being some gladiator's punching bag, he had probably been recognized and given to the Autobots, therefore getting him found as well, knowing Starscream's track record of keeping secrets especially under pressure. Even since Cybertron had been restored, the 'tradition' of fighting still ran strong, gladiators fighting each other and even nobles who showed enthusiasm for fighting and were willing to toy with their lives. The purple mech, going over to the table in the main room quickly unloaded the Energon crystals he managed to collect on it, spreading them out on the small surface. Shockwave counted the crystals, making note of how much fuel this would equate to.

"About 80%...It will only last me about 4 days considering the fuel I already have..." Shockwave turned around and walked off, returning with a tool he had retrieved the recharge room. The tool was a small box-like object with mechanical gears and switches protruding from it. A small chute from the top of it lead into a series of small pumps and gears loaded with different chemicals. A tube lead out from the side of it which Shockwave placed in an empty Energon cube. It was a small Energon purifier, something used to convert crystals to liquid, which makes it easier to process and use. Unlike the one Starscream had used to make his Red Energon, this purifier did not have a stand to stabilize it on the floor or jar to store Energon. It was also not 'automatic', so Shockwave would actually have to physically purify the crystals by working the machine, flicking sitches and turning gears. Shockwave put a crystal into the chute of the machine and began the long process, the crystal being treated with chemicals and different chemical processes to transition it into liquid. Shockwave continued his work of purifying, always aware of his surroundings. As time ticked on, Shockwave became more and more unsettled. At this rate, the Energon would take at least a quarter of a solar cycle to process fully. Once one crystal was done, Shockwave quickly got onto purifying another crystal. This was going to be a long process...The scientist let out a quiet huff of annoyance as he continued the long process.

* * *

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	3. The Wilderness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTES: There are multiple references to MTMTE, Animated and other continuities, especially regarding Cybertronian culture and biology. It is advisable to read the comics or go to TFWiki to read up about some of the references I will use in this fic. There is a James Bond reference in this chapter somewhere...

**Psychosis III: The Wilderness**

A pair of crimson red optics suddenly flashed to life. Choked vents echoed out loudly, limbs flailing outward. Surges of pure panic rocked the Seeker, claws and weapons armed to attack any threat that crossed him. Starscream frantically lifted himself up from his facedown position, ironing out any creases in his wings with a quick flutter of the appendages. Dust covered his faceplate, which interfered with his optics. A few bats of his optic covers solved that problem quickly. The Seeker raised his armed arm, readying the missile on it in case anything sinister did happen to be around. Starscream was confused; he was unsure of where he was, or why he was here. The Seeker had woken up to find himself in a large yet slightly familiar canyon, the greyish-tan area thickly coated in rubble from previous buildings which once stood tall, and dust as far as one could see. And one wouldn't be able to see far. Thick blankets of choking fog filled the huge canyon. Starscream could just make out a series of broken walls and debris, which formed what almost resembled a skirmish training area's course, alike the ones he attended as a young Seeker prince. Some of the walls surrounded him, and made perfect hiding areas, imperative for survival in such an area, considering the many beasts Starscream could see roaming the area. The whistle of wind being forced through the canyon and its contents created an all around eerie feel to the area. It was night now, the perfect time for monsters and Insecticons to hunt. A scary thought, it was. Going back to his conundrum of waking up in such an odd place, Starscream began to think. Hypothesizing he was suffering a bout of amnesia, probably from a fall of some sort which would also explain why he had come to lying on the ground, Starscream snarled to himself in annoyance. Must have been another of those 'automated recharge virus' episodes, as he had dubbed them. Starscream yelped as he baked into something, an old, crumbling wall. The Seeker quickly shook off his confusion, calming himself. He soon became more aware of his immediate surroundings. Noticing a smaller wall beside him was containing some sort of movement from something seemingly large, he fired. Or at least he attempted. No matter how many times he clinked his claws together to activate the firing mechanism, Starscream found he could not fire even a single missile. Starscream slowly looked to his firing arm.

"What the..." Starscream began. The missile was gone! Somehow, the red missile which usually occupied his arm was...gone! No more! Starscream, almost panicking, quickly checked his other arm. Gone on that arm was the other missile as well. Starscream jumped up from the swelling panic in his systems, a growing sense of unease ever rising in him next to the almost paralyzing panic. A drip of Energon made itself known to Starscream, the Seeker slowly wiping the droplet from his head. In the process, he had found a huge slash on his head. Holding in a scream, the Seeker made a beeline for the wall behind him, ducking under it, hoping that whatever was behind the wall moved away. Knowing his luck, it would be a huge Insecticon. He did not wish for any melee combat, being too panicked for facing anything larger than a Scraplet. He was afraid that someone had been tampering with his systems, his missiles being gone and a large gash snaking its way through the top of his head. Starscream vented quietly, waiting patiently for the mystery creature to move away. Deciding to use this time to scan his system in case any other nasty surprise laid inside, Starscream began the procedure, looking through readings on his HUD which popped up as the internal scan progressed. Readings were spat out in the clear, and Starscream came back with an almost full bill of health, considering his own state. Somehow, the GPS system, a cornucopia of maps inside his head, was inaccessible, leaving the Seeker totally lost. For all he knew, he could be anywhere on Cybertron. The gash on his head leaked Energon, and would have to be fixed soon. Energon levels were at a very low 30%, not helped by the injuries Starscream possessed. "Just what I need..." The Seeker groaned. He was now hopelessly lost, low on fuel, and was cowering behind a wall for dear life, all fighting skills and logic overtaken by his cowardice. His spark hitched as he felt the vibrations of something approaching, and slunk further down, almost merging with the wall. The vibrations stopped for a moment, a moment of respite for Starscream. Waiting a few moments of only hearing the whirrs of his system and the whistle of the winds channeled through the numerous wall sections of the canyon, the Seeker slowly got onto his servos and knees, crawling away from the wall in an attempt to sneak away from whatever lay behind it. Starscream was a half-body length away from the wall when he managed to step on a piece of crunchy, unstable rubble, which made a loud snap as it was destroyed under the slim Seeker's servo.

Starscream screeched in surprise as the wall behind him was decimated by a heavy swing of a long, barbed claw, rubble flying into Starscream and the wall breaker. The Seeker screeeched in panic, only to look up to something standing in front of him. A creature with long black claws, torn wings, and eight huge compound eyes set on him. Long tusk-like fangs adorned the front of the beast, seemingly ready for action, which was what Starscream had been percieved as by the powerful insect.

"Oh, great..." Starscream now found himself staring at a large Insecticon, who gave a loud roar at the already scared Seeker. The creature lurched forward, trying to make contact with its prey,Starscream, who made an agile leap back. "Stay away from me!" The Seeker yelled, flaring his wings in a futile attempt to scare off the overgrown bug, who let out a screech typical of its race, not before thumping its long claws into the ground. Continuing its tyrade, it almost seem to dance in a game of life and death with Starscream, who kept his distance. Starscream kept backing up, reversing away from the ferocious creature at a constant rate. Starscream's spark was doing backflips in his spark chamber, thumping against the sides of its restraint. Starscream mentally tried to settle himself, calming his spark, which flittered with a light hum. As normal as an excited spark could be...normal?! Normal?! The spark...Starscream's amnesia suddenly disappeared completely in a moment of pure clarity. Memories flooded him, both bad and good in a huge torrent which almost overwhelmed Starscream. The memories passed through him easily, seeding themselves back into their proper place in Starscream's mind. Each memory slipped through him quickly, the Seeker not even considering any of them, except for a particular memory, which halted like as Junkion stuck in a tar pit. Nightfire. Going back to his spark, he finally pinpointed the oddity of the normality. Nightfire's presence had disappeared. Gone! How could this be?! The heavy, dark claw which had wrenched his spark so tightly, the one who reveled in the Seeker's deepest, darkest nightmares, The one who had almost permanently ended his life...was...gone! Were the visions of the harbinger of agony and nightmares returning...all just a nightmare itself?! In the moment of inattention, the Insecticon took its chance. His train of thought was swiftly cut short by a large, heavy claw throwing him unceremoniously to the rough debris of the floor. The Insecticon screamed loudly, its long, ebony mandibles clinking together menacingly, at the ready to swiftly end Starscream's existence with one powerful swipe. The Seeker clambered back to his feet, only to be pinned down again under a long, piercing pincer. Starscream yelled bloody murder as the creature neared his faceplate, looking as if it was going to take the Seeker's head off. A single glistening droplet of Insecticon spit oozed out of its long mouth, traveling along its long mandibles until it reached the apex, finally drooling down in a huge globule smack onto Starscream's faceplate with a soft _splat_.

"That's disgusting!" Starscream snarled. The Seeker angrily thrashed around, scratching and kicking the Insecticon. Starscream managed to leave a long slash on the insect's torso before his long, sharp limbs were restrained by the Insecticon moving its own stronger and equally sharp limbs over them. On the end of each of its long legs were pincers much like Airachnid's, which it used to dig into Starscream, taking advantage of the sensitive armour seams. Starscream howled at the pain as the insect closed its pincers, trapping the limbs. The armour slowly inched its way into Starscream's wrist and ankle wires, splitting the wires with deadly accuracy. Energon gushed out of the fresh wounds, pooling at Starscream's injured areas, making the Insecticon even hungrier for Starscream's mesh. The Seeker screamed in pure agony, feeling his appendages slowly being torn off. The Insecticon leaned down at Starscream, mandibles opening. "No..." Starscream gasped. It was attack now or never if he wanted to escape. Having to resort to using methods other than scratching, The Seeker hurriedly tried to headbutt the creature, hoping to take its optic out. With a swing, the Seeker propelled his head towards the Insecticon's very own, his red stride utilized as a weapon. The Seeker's horn made contact with the roof of the insect's mouth, off the original target, but nonetheless effective. The horn stabbed through the roof of the monster's cavernous mouth, Energon spraying in all directions, including onto Starscream himself. A drip leaked into the Seeker's mouth, reminding him how hungry he truly was, his Energon levels being tremendously low, sparking something dark deep inside the Seeker. The Insecticon recoiled, now bearing a large hole in its mouth. Starscream lapped viciously as another droplet teetered and fell onto his faceplate near his awaiting mouth. The drip was enough to trigger the hunger within. Starscream thrashed, trying to free himself. Without even Nightfire's sadistic assistance, Starscream lusted for Energon. The Insecticon's Energon. Even the most sanest Cybertronian could turn absolutely feral when in desperate need of Energon, an instinct from the days when even basic survival was the equivalent of a huge battle. An unstoppeable rage would fill the bot, causing them to turn into a crazed zombie; in fact, as one certain doctor discovered, a special mixture of Synthetic and Dark Energon would bring this phase on instantly, with an even stronger rage and added...features.

"Energon...Energon!" The Seeker yelled like a zombie, hunger fueling him. Starscream, thrashing like never before, managed to free one slightly damaged arm. Starscream grabbed the Insecticon's chestplate and ripped part of the steely armour off viciously while still being pinned. The Insecticon screeched in surprise and pain, its protoform armour now revealed. The feral Seeker, fueled on by an almost overwhelming hunger, suddenly launched forward into the Insecticon's exposed chest and bit down, crunching deep into the armour, his long, usually hidden fangs burying themselves deep within the beast which stood before him. The beast itself squealed a loud, sharp note as its protoform was brutally penetrated by two, long blade-like denta, bearing down heavily on its broken chestplate. Starscream, still deeply lodged in the Insecticon, tore his denta down, cutting through many more layers of the Insecticon's chestplate, including through the remnants of what had been the Insecticon's armour plate. The long, jagged gashes in the Insecticon began leaking glowing Energon and broken parts from vital components inside the beast, dripping in huge chunks. The huge drops collected in a puddle on the still-pinned Seeker, dripping slowly to the ground as Starscream shifted. Starscream let out a long hiss, suddenly pulling his fangs out. He bit again, deep into the middle of the long gashes. In the next moment, immediately after removing his fangs, he gored the Insecticon with his long head stride, pulling out what looked to be a part of a T-cog. Starscream laughed, pulling back out and ramming himself in again, Energon squirting out, covering the manic Seeker. A blue hue soon made itself known, the hue of a spark. Starscream had made the wound in the Insecticon so deep it had revealed the spark chamber. The Insecticon screamed loudly, starting to lose grip of Starscream. The Seeker, feeling his limbs being loosened, quickly freed himself by shuffling away from the Insecticon and jumped up, stepping back. The Insecticon roared in pain, ready to strike his prey once again, but this time, it was Starscream who made the first move. Prey had become predator, and Starscream roared as he jumped at the bleeding Insecticon. Soaring through the air, Starscream landed himself into the Insecticon, sinking his claws deep into the Insecticon. His claws sunk deeper, scraping away layers of armour and protoform, gaining access into the creature. His right claw had the Insecticon's optic in its range. Instinctively, the Insecticon began tossing its head from side to side, trying to rid itself of its attacker. Starscream retaliated, sending his sharp ped into the Insecticon's existing wound, causing another explosion of Energon and a loud crunching of a spark chamber. His right claw stabbed into the creature's optic, crushing into its target, the Insecticon screaming as it was half-blinded. Its spark pulsed intensely as the area around it was decimated by the Seeker's long leg. Starscream crunched down tightly on the already-broken optic, sending shivers of pain into the Insecticon. Starscream wrenched his arms, trying to tear off the Insecticon's head, managing to loosen some wires. Starscream kicked again, this time dislodging the spark from its chamber, the spark now hanging loosely from the Insecticon. Nearing death, the Insecticon landed one final move, crunching into Starscream, who easily avoided the attempted bite. Starscream managed to twist off the Insecticon's head as it fell, tearing off cables and long wires as it held onto the Insecticon's head. Energon sprayed everywhere from the creature's new wound, the body of it crumbling slowly to the ground. Starscream tumbled, gaining his footing quickly to see he had finally killed it. It lay in a bloody mess on the floor, limbs twisted from the struggle and head completely torn off to show its inner workings in a very macabre form.

"Finally." Starscream vented happily, discariding the head to one side and running over to the corpse, not wasting any time to tuck into his prize. His Energon levels were now almost completely depleted, and now a whole bounty of Energon laid in his path of destruction. He couldn't care less about foreign bodies or viruses present in the shell, he was too desperate. He went straight for the area where the spark chamber had been in the Insecticon to consume the Innermost Energon, one of the substances which could bypass High Grade in potency. Starscream crunched down, drinking the Energon as if his life depended on it. In a way, it did. Now, when he was actually consuming the liquid, a small pang of unease rocked him. A virus. His mind instantly relayed the thought of Nightfire...pushing the dark thought quickly away, Starscream resumed his frenzied feeding.

"Energon!" Starscream barely muttered before consuming more, feeling his Energon levels shoot up. Ripping open more armour out of his way with feverent speed, Starscream dug deeper, sweeping parts out of the way for access to the precious Energon, which dripped and leaked freely from the shell. Continuing this process, Starscream managed to eventually bleed the Insecticon dry, even lapping up the pools that had formed as the creature bled out. Finishing up the process, Starscream then started going through the creature, looking for parts which he might have use for. He soon decided on just taking the whole shell with him. In the process, Starscream had armed himself with the long claw arms of the Insecticon, effectively transforming them into deadly arm-blades. He had modified the tip of his peds into long, sharp daggers, which could be retracted as he pleased, effectively creating an effective hidden weapon. Starscream, pleased with his handiwork, smirked before dragging the remaining parts of the Insecticon behind him. Deciding he had better find his way back to the base, he had to first find some sort of landmark around him. His locator was still non-functional, so the Seeker would have to rely on his past knowledge of the geographical area of Cybertron.

"Hmm...Looking around, it would seem I am somewhere on the south side of Kaon...one of the desolated areas...Ah, of course, the great Southern Kaon Canyon..." Starscream contemplated. He knew the makeshift base he and Shockwave occupied was somewhere on the northern outskirts of Kaon, and that Kaon was a very large area, the whole space totaling about an eighth of Cybertron, consisting of mines and gladiatorial stadiums. Starscream knew he could fly over back to base, but being heavily pursued by the Autobots and now also some angry gladiators, it would be a huge risk to him and Shockwave, who, despite the personality clash, he was still trying to seek out. Having someone to watch your aft was a feeling which Starscream had grown almost dependant on during the vorns spent with Shockwave, and he was almost shocked at how the removal of it could scare him so. Starscream physically shivered at the process of going through Kaon; the gladiators and fighters there would definitely make mincemeat out of him. However, Starscream saw no other option; there was no possible way to go around Kaon. Heavily populated areas surrounded the district, filled with law-abiding citizens ready to take down criminals like him. Starscream contemplated his equally dangerous options, finally settling on the option of sneaking through Kaon. Having experience in espionage and stealth, Starscream decided this would be his best option. However, armour and weapons would be a problem. To survive Kaon, he'd have to get tougher armour and some decent weapons. Somehow. Perhaps even a whole revamp of his existing armour using the Insecticon shell...wait. Looking back at the shell of the Insecticon, he had a sudden thought. The two ideas in his mind connected, almost making and audible click. One single, brilliant idea was formed, leading down one path:

"Maybe I could make a disguise with this...I could sneak through Kaon without being noticed!" Starscream yelled, wings rising up in glory. There was definitely enough metal to make a new set of armour. A new and completely different armour from his own, that was. Also, the armour would be tough enough to withstand reasonable abuse from gamey gladiators, something one would expect from Kaon. Now the only thing was...

"How could I make the armour without fragging up my claws?" Starscream stared at his already-damaged claws longingly. They couldn't take any more abuse; just the slight modifications beforehand had already gnawed them down considerably, blunting them and taking their usually-feared quality away. The only tool he had to modify such items, yet he needed them to survive...Starscream groaned. If he were to make a whole suit of armour, his claws would be rubbed down to the nubs, something he dreaded. Once, such punishment had been given to him by Megatron, where he had viciously broken off the Seeker's claws when he had deemed him useless for losing an Autobot prisoner. It was an absolute agony which was definitely something Starscream wished to forget...

"I can't waste time thinking! I've got to come up with a way to do this!" Starscream got rid of the horrible memories, focusing back on the Insecticon shell. "Actually..." Starscream smirked. Maybe he could disguise himself...as a cleanup bot! Kaon was full of 'cleanup bots', the ones at the very bottom caste who cleaned up after the bloody battles in the pits. Often, they would be seen dragging dead and often Energon-pouring gladiators behind them and on their frame to the smelting pits. No one shot them, most of the time, as they usually helped everyone by clearing up remains of the multiple dead gladiators which resulted from any battle, be it pit or a street quarrel. They were usually unidentifiable under the multiple dead that draped them.

"This might work!" Starscream flipped the heavy shell over him, quickly lowering his wings to fit just on his back so the shell could perfectly fit.. He clawed some of the parts and remains of the Insecticon out, draping them over his legs. He clawed two small holes in the shell, his red optics peeking out. Punching two side holes for his claws, Starscream decided this was as far as making holes in the suit was to go; any more and he could possibly be identified. The Seeker moved into a comfortable position, and finally got into a more comfortable position, making most of the joints and moveable parts in the Insecticon to help aid him in movement, which was still somehow tricky.

"Ready as I'll ever be..." Starscream gulped. He slowly walked over to the wall of the canyon, mindful of the multiple Insecticons, creeping over as quiet as he could. Starscream hid behind a wall just as an Insecticon flew past him. After a moment, the Seeker resumed, heading over to the side which lead to Kaon. He sunk his claws into the tough wall and slowly made his way up, sliding slightly down as he knocked a rock loose. Not losing hope, he continued his way up, making the most of his shoe-knives, as the humans would call them. The knives were an idea he picked up somewhere along the line when he was surfing the great human 'internet', having been watching an old spy film of some sort. Starscream continued climbing up the wall, avoiding smooth parts of the wall and loose footholds which could send him spiralling down back into the canyon. Starscream noticed his shell suit scratched against him, creaking noises screeching out.

"Can't worry about this. No one will notice anyway." Barely being able to see out of the case, Starscream was beaming as he finally managed to hook one of his servos over the ledge. The Seeker pulled himself up with his single arm, his heel struts digging into the softer metal composite of the ground on the ledge. As the Seeker finally saw what was over the ledge, the Seeker's optics widened. His spark almost stopped at the spectacle he saw in front of him.

"No! Stop!" A loud screaming of a high-pitched voice was heard. Starscream focused on the sight. A small bot, pink armour with streaks of blue, was being held down by another warrior in front of an old mine shaft. The warrior above, obviously in the midst of some sort of robbery or assault shoved her gun into the smaller victim's chest. Assaults like these were common in Kaon, especially at night where attackers could easily jump their victims, fools which travelled too close to Kaon's borders. However, Seekers were not common. Starscream was in shock, finding that he couldn't move. Not because of the violent scene in progress in front of him. Not because of the fact a Seeker was in Kaon. But rather, who the Seeker was.

"Slip...stream..." And not just any Slipstream. Not the one he had created to aid him in the beginning of the War. Not the one who had persistantly annoyed him in one of his ploys to overthrow Megatron. The original one, the very one stemming from the cloning which had also produced...Nightfire. A tight, queasy feeling crept into his spark, making Starscream feel sick. The warrior was a small sized purple Seeker with a damaged wing, which had been crudely sawn off in the middle with what seemed like some sort of blunt blade, probably a severe injury from a previous fight. Scratches, gashes and rough repair jobs covered the Seeker. The halved wing periodically leaked trembling drips of Energon, which flew all different directions depending on how the warrior flung her damaged wing. The wings, both damaged and undamaged were horizontally streaked with turquoise down the middle.

"What part of 'give me your parts' don't you understand, you stupid glitch?!" The warrior pressed her gun even harder into the scared victim. Parts were in huge demand in Kaon, with many warriors often missing their original parts which were too far destroyed to be retrieved. The warriors often took to the Cybertronian 'Black Market', which was often referred to by them as the 'secret parts' trade. "Give me your parts, now!"

"No..Aargh!" The chest armour was roughly ripped off by the livid warrior, exposing the spark and the victim's innards.

"If you won't give me your parts...I shall strip you of your Innermost Energon...and perhaps your life!" The mad Seeker threatened with a tone of voice that brimmed with malice.

"No! Don't!" The small victim screamed. Innermost Energon was something every bot protected dearly, something which was given to another as a true sign of affection, often to a Conjunx Endurae. To forcefully take one's Innermost Energon against their will was the almost equivalent of rape in human terms.

"I'll give you my parts!"

"Too late, glitch..." The Seeker smiled evilly as she plunged her sharp digit into the tube outside of the spark casing, where the Innermost Energon flowed in a circuit around the spark. Her claw cut with a scalpel's accuracy, slicing the tube open neatly. A yellowish liquid began pouring out of the veins and onto the channeled digit, flowing onto the awaiting servo. She slowly stuck the digit into her mouth, letting the fluid drip in slowly, relishing the scent and taste of the potent fluid flowing into her, a sense of pure power blossoming inside her. The warrior, contented, fluttered her wings in delight. Her purple eyes shone brightly. It had been many stellar cycles since she had managed to relinquish the flavor of one of her victim's Innermost Energon.

"Hmph. You taste good for such a tiny weakling. Stay still for the next part or I might accidently nick your spark."

"My spark?" The petrified pink bot replied, shivering.

"You'll see soon enough." The warrior dipped her head into the victim's chest cavity, going for the severed line with her elongated denta. The victim screamed when she sunk her long fangs in, yet remaining mostly motionless, the whole violent procession even making Starscream avert his previously youngling-like gaze. Starscream turned, making a loud grinding noise as the loose Insecticon shell shifted against his armour plates. One little overlook which could cost him his spark. Two thin, purple optics suddenly shone in his direction, fangs coated in yellow adding to the macabre visual.

"Oh, slag..."

It was no use. Under these circumstances, it would be impossible to find Starscream. That is, if he was even alive. It was a fair Cybertronian morning, low chance of the corrosive rain which would impede almost all functions, meaning he would be trapped in the base unless he could formulate some protection from the rain. Looking back at the supplies, he stifled a laugh. He knew of a potent formula which would protect for solar cycles from the deadly acid, but of course, with these pathetic supplies, the formula would be impossible to make. Having consumed half a cube of his extracted Energon to wake him from a restless recharge riddled with worry for what he would do now alone, Shockwave armed himself slowly. He, after close contemplation and good logic, had decided to go back to one of his secret labs in hopes of finding supplies and prototypes to continue his projects. It was surprising, how even a whiny traitor like Starscream could make him feel more at ease in such a situation, where he was being hounded by the Autobots and their mindless followers. Planning out where he had to go, a further west side of Kaon, Shockwave soon packed his supplies within him and stepped out into the clean, crisp atmosphere. He scanned the area thorughly, making sure no one was around. Letting his scanner slowly sweep over the terrain, Shockwave moved his head to the direction he wished to scan.

"Scan results: No Cybertronian life to be seen." Satisfied with the scan's results, he transformed into his jet form smoothly, blasting off towards the direction of the hidden base.

Shockwave approached the large, half-buried domed building. The building was of an archaic design, from even before the Golden Age. The building was completely sealed, not a window or skylight to be seen. This lab was a special lab, reserved as Shockwave's last backup, in a situation where his other labs had been destroyed. Now that Starscream was off his back, he could go back to this hidden lab without risk of the Seeker's treachery and ambition hindering his experiments. Shockwave only hoped that no-one had thought to look here for his labs. This was a lab which had no connection to the others, a separate building which Shockwave had purposely built for this purpose. This was the moment when it was make it or break it for Project Predacon. Before he could even reach the based, a loud crash, followed by a roar from deep inside the building rang out.

"Oh no..." A sinking feeling pierced Shockwave's spark, knowing something had infiltrated the lab. By the sound of the roar, it was something big that had entered his lab. Not wasting another moment, Shockwave ran as quick as he could to the secret entrance of the lab, broke it open with a sharp kick and jumped into the pitch-black darkness of the interior. His optics shone brilliantly in the murky darkness, illuminating the room slightly. His lab had been ransacked, as far as he could see. Glowing potions littered the floor, broken, sparking datapads formed a greenish-blue carpet in the center of the lab. The datapads were what truly made Shockwave uneasy; his work was all on those datapads. Now, the only true copy of the plans left was the copy of his research in his head. The carnage seemed frenzied and without method to any outsider, but Shockwave knew better. He could see a pattern Ain the mess, a pattern created by someone looking for a certain object. A sharp clattering was heard from the right side of the building, and a shadow could be seen, a shadow of something going through a storage case. A storage case containing some very recent data and experiments. Shockwave's optics widened as he saw the creature pick out a large, yellowish vial. A very specific vial...No. Shockwave knew instantly what the vial was. It was an early prototype of Project Predacon! Something he had developed and backed up here in this very lab before being summoned by the late Megatron...He couldn't lose this! The creature held it victoriously before turning its head towards Shockwave. Its orange optics glowed brightly, boring into the scientist standing before it. The thief merely hissed at Shockwave before turning its back on him.

"Stop!" Shockwave pointed his gun at the intruder, a large, spiny shadow, which did not appear to be any of the Autobots, thankfully. He couldn't take this destruction of his lab anymore, especially since the only physically existing Predacon sample was at risk of being taken. A large shadow in the approximate shape of a large Insecticon, with...long arms? Shockwave cocked his head to the side. It wasn't often one would see an Insecticon with actual arms. Usually, they just possessed long claws as arms...The shadow bristled its spikes a bit, and ran off, its long tail trailing behind it. A tail? Insecticons didn't have tails! Ever! Shockwave jumped. What in the Pit was that thing, then?! Deciding to shoot first, ask questions later, Shockwave charged his blaster and fired at the mysterious shadow, the shadow bounding off quickly. Something about it nagged at the back of Shockwave's mind, a hint of recognition of the beast which pulled him back for a moment, but the scientist logically decided it was no time to be making random assumptions when his life's work was at risk. Shockwave fired again, hitting the creature in its side, making it scream before making its exit into the darkness Of the labs, crashing into numerous tables and experiments the purple scientist had previously set up. The yellow glow of the Predacon vial made it easy to track the thief. Shockwave ran quickly, pursuing it through the ruined lab, pushing aside various tools and tables, almost tripping over a large testing vault which had been opened and toppled by the intruder. Thief still in sight, Shockwave fired his blaster again, hitting the intruder once again as it finally and suddenly disappeared, sinking into the ground.

"A sinkhole. This is how the thief got into my lab." Not missing a beat, Shockwave slid down the rough tunnel, the beast still leading the chase by a few lengths. The world became a blur as he slid down the tube at insane speeds. All of the sudden, the beast jumped up, breaking through the ceiling of the tunnel and running free. Shockwave slid past the hole, still pushing forward as he realized his mistake. Against the ever-pressing force of inertia, Shockwave sunk his servos into the metal of the sides of the tunnel, the scientist finally tumbling onto his peds and gaining footage. Reversing quickly, Shockwave jumped up the sinkhole only to catch a glimpse of the thief turning a corner and disappearing around a corner, leading to one of the more populated corners of Kaon with a swish of its tail, the tail obscured by a brilliant glint of sunlight of which it caught as it entered the perfect angle, the creature disappearing from its pursuer. Shockwave stopped, letting the creature go as he reached the edge of the building, knowing his safety was much more important.

"No...Project Predacon..." Shockwave hissed, finally losing all sight of the thief. The scientist sighed, but refused to let his emotions show, as part of his mental training to dealing with such situations, himself remaining a facade of stoicism. Shockwave vented heavily, his tiny wings hitching highly.

 _Someone is stealing my work. I can't let this happen.._.thought the scientist. Shockwave stood stiffly for a moment, movements stiff. His fist clenched tightly. Before turning he kicked a piece of rubble away madly, sending the shrapnel flying into the air. The choking metal dust from the rubble on the ground was blown up in wisps, swirling up around Shockwave as the scientist disappeared into it, almost like in a picture. 

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